RSL announces U-17 team tryouts, youth camps

As Real Salt Lake readies for its upcoming fifth season in Major League Soccer, the Utah club is also ramping up preparations for the continuance of the RSL Youth Development Program in 2009, which will again include the formation of an Under-17 Boys squad in addition to the debut of the RSL Youth Camps series that will visit cities up and down the Wasatch Front and across the Salt Lake valley.

RSL U-17 Boys Team Tryouts to Take Place April 4-5 in Sandy
The Real Salt Lake Youth Development Program has announced the return of its RSL-Utah Boys Under-17 Team, with this year's tryouts taking place the weekend of April 4-5 at Jordan Middle School, located at 9360 S. 300 East in Sandy. Open tryouts will be conducted on Saturday, April 4, from 2:00-5:00 p.m. MT, while a final, invitation-only session for selected trialists will take place the following day on Sunday, April 5, from 3:00-6:00 p.m. The 2009 RSL U-17 Boys Team will consist of players born August 1, 1991 through July 31, 1994 (U-15 through U-17 age groups).

The purpose of the RSL Under-17 Boys developmental squad is for the Real Salt Lake coaching staff to recognize and identify some of the up-and-coming young players from across the area, with the possibility of one day playing for the Real Salt Lake first team. This year's RSL-Utah U-17 team will be under the direction of RSL Assistant Coach/Youth Development Technical Director Brian Johnson, while RSL U-17 Head Coach Greg Maas returns with his assistant coaching staff for a third season with the program.

This year marks the third season for the RSL-Utah U-17 program, which will look to follow up the tremendous success earned last summer when it made a stellar run to win the annual SUM U-17 Cup at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, that result clinching the Utahns a spot in the prestigious JRS World Cup-Comunidad de Madrid in Spain this June. This year's squad will again compete in the annual SUM Cup tourney, featuring academy teams representing nearly every MLS squad, in addition to taking part in friendlies against local club and USL Premier Development League teams.

Registration cost for the RSL-Utah U-17 squad tryout is $40, which includes a numbered Real Salt Lake tryout T-shirt and a ticket voucher for Real Salt Lake's MLS regular season contest at Rio Tinto Stadium against D.C. United on Saturday, April 11 (4:00 p.m. kickoff). Players must pre-register for the tryouts by Thursday, April 2, by submitting in the following:

1) A completed registration form (http://web.mlsnet.com/t121/pdf/playerregistration.pdf)
2) A completed Release and Liability form (http://web.mlsnet.com/t121/pdf/releaseof_liability.pdf)
3) A copy of the player's birth certificate
4) The $40 registration fee

Once all items are completed, please turn them into the RSL offices at Rio Tinto Stadium, c/o Teresa Nelson, either in person from 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. MT, or via U.S. mail at: 9256 South State; Sandy, UT 84070.

If you have any further questions, please contact Teresa Nelson at: tnelson@RealSaltLake.com or 801-727-2714.

New RSL Youth Camps Program to Debut this Summer
In addition to the continuance of its U-17 development team, Real Salt Lake has also announced the formation of a new RSL Youth Camps program, a series of weeklong camps focusing on developing soccer skills for children playing at all levels of the sport. Each of the eight RSL Youth Camps stops will be split into four distinct groups so that players of all ages and abilities can get the most out of the experience:

RSL Mini-Kickers Camp (Ages 4-8) / $90 / 9:00-10:30 a.m. RSL Youth Skills Camp (Ages 9-18) / $115 / 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. RSL Youth Strikers Camp (Ages 10-18) / $150 / 1:00-3:00 p.m. RSL Youth Goalkeepers Camp (Ages 10-18) / $150 / 1:00-3:00 p.m.

The 2009 RSL Youth Camps are slated to take place in eight cities across the northern half of the Beehive State from June through August:

The summer program will be launched by RSL Director of Youth Camps Rob Karas, who returns to Utah after spending three years as Director of Coaching for the Jackson Hole Youth Soccer Club, and the past year as the Wyoming State Technical Director. Coach Karas is currently the Owner and Director for All Star Soccer School. Prior to heading to Jackson, Karas spent four years as the Director of Coaching for Utah Soccer Alliance (USA), one year as Men's Head Coach at Utah Valley State College, and six years with the Utah Olympic Development Program (ODP) as a state staff coach

Coach Karas has earned several licenses and diplomas while building his soccer credentials, including the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) National "A" License, NSCAA International Premier Diploma, USSF National Goalkeeper License, USSF National Youth License, NSCAA Director of Coaching Diploma, and NSCAA State Goalkeeper Diploma.

For more information on the RSL Youth Camps program, please contact Rob Karas at 801-819-9061 or rkaras@RealSaltLake.com.